"It's recognition": Australian volunteer firefighters feel valued after compensation announced

Record ID: 1450700

  • Title: "It's recognition": Australian volunteer firefighters feel valued after compensation announced
  • Date: 29th December 2019
  • Summary: KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NEW SOUTH WALES VOLUNTEER RURAL FIRE SERVICE MEMBERS GATHERED AT STAGING AREA CREW FROM VALLEY HEIGHTS NEW SOUTH WALES VOLUNTEER RURAL FIRE SERVICE LISTING TO BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER, VALLEY HEIGHTS RURAL FIRE SERVICE BRIGADE, HAYLEY STONE, SAYING: "When your brigade is tired and exhausted and you've seen people going out again and again and again and you're doing 12 hour shifts and it's really strenuous hard work and you really do feel like you want to be helping and you really do feel like you're obliged to do that. So, like for me, it means I use my annual leave. It means that I use my time in lieu time. I've recently negotiated with my employer for one week of paid leave but, you know that's exceptional circumstances and I think the difference is that, if you don't kind of even it out in some way you're going to end up with the type of firefighter, you're going to get specific classes of people who can do it and you're going to get specific classes of people who aren't going to be able to do it. My concern is that the people who can volunteer their time are not necessarily the fittest or the ones that are able to kind of do this stuff. The younger people aren't getting out there who need to be out there. I think that's the thing. That's the concern for me. I don't think we should pay people indefinitely. I don't think we should change the culture but I think this is unusual. This is prolonged and its long term and I think that the government sort of back flipped on it and said yeah, now we will. That's good. That makes us feel valued, so yeah." VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER EATING BREAKFAST VOLUNTEERS STANDING AT STAGING AREA (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR DEPUTY CAPTAIN, VALLEY HEIGHTS RURAL FIRE SERVICE BRIGADE, BERT CLARKE, SAYING: "No, I don't think it should be made (payment). I think it complicates the whole issue of volunteering. For myself as a pensioner, it's discriminatory. Now, I retired at 65 and still an active fire-fighter. I've been fighting the fires since September but there's nothing in it for me or my family or my wife who has to put up with my departure every time I leave, and, I think it takes away from the concept of volunteering." CREW FROM VALLEY HEIGHTS NEW SOUTH WALES VOLUNTEER RURAL FIRE SERVICE LISTING TO BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (English) VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER, VALLEY HEIGHTS RURAL FIRE SERVICE BRIGADE, STEWART TEMESVARY, SAYING: "A couple of weeks ago I did three 12 hours shifts in a row. One of those was ended up being 16 hours by the time you get to the vehicle, get back off the vehicle. Fifteen, sixteen hour shifts in a row, you're exhausted at the end of that and you might have one day break and they want you to go again. It just takes its toll physically and emotionally on the family. They're not seeing you. You come home and you're not compos mentis. You know, you can't conduct a proper conversation. It's tough, it's tough and the payment is just a recognition of what we're doing. It doesn't compensate us for what we're losing, but its recognition." VARIOUS OF CREW FROM VALLEY HEIGHTS NEW SOUTH WALES VOLUNTEER RURAL FIRE SERVICE GETTING INTO TRUCK AND DRIVING AWAY
  • Embargoed: 12th January 2020 01:34
  • Keywords: Australia New South Wales bushfires compensation firefighters heat volunteers
  • Location: KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA
  • City: KATOOMBA, BLUE MOUNTAINS, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wildfires/Forest Fires
  • Reuters ID: LVA001BC11G07
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Some Australian volunteer firefighters said on Sunday (December 29) that being compensated for helping fight dangerous bushfires was recognition for their efforts.
    Bushfires have destroyed more than 4 million hectares (9.9 million acres) of land in five states since September and eight deaths have been linked to the blazes.
    Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday, payments of up to A$6,000 would be available for eligible firefighters in the state of New South Wales (NSW), who had spent more than 10 days in the field this fire season.
    The conservative leader has previously said compensation for volunteers was not a priority, but he has faced increasing political pressure as widespread fires continue to burn.
    Stewart Temesvary, an accountant and a Rural Fire Service Volunteer for 25 years, said the long hours and extended fire season had also taken a toll physically and emotionally on his family.
    "You come home and you're not compos-mentis," Temesvary told Reuters.
    "You know, you can't conduct a proper conversation. It's tough, it's tough and the payment is just a recognition of what we're doing. It doesn't compensate us for what we're losing, but it's recognition."
    Cooler conditions in many areas during Christmas week helped contain some blazes, but the fire risk has increased in parts of the country in the final few days of 2019.
    On Sunday, organisers of a major music festival in the state of Victoria cancelled the event, citing extreme weather conditions expected on Monday (December 30).
    A total fire ban is in place for all of Victoria on Monday due to forecast of high temperatures and strong winds creating an "extreme" fire risk across most of the state.
    (Production: Jill Gralow)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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